So the future didn't turn out quite how Werner von Braun and Chesley Bonestell predicted. We've got iPads and the Internet instead of interplanetary travel. And we have gotten a glimpse of what the planets and moons of the Solar System look like. At least they can't take mini golf away from us. We've brought all that together in this game: a taste of the way the future was supposed to be.

What's Accurate?

The planetscapes are based on current knowledge, with an occasional dash of artistic license (but of course the truth may turn out stranger than fiction). Gravity is accurate, though stronger than it should be on the very smallest bodies, to keep the ball from floating away.

What's Not?

The rocketship ignores the laws of physics. Speed and fuel efficiency are unrealistic. Solar System distances are compressed. Golfing on Venus may be hazardous to your health.

Bossa nova and the Space Age go together like liquid hydrogen and oxygen. Add a touch of theremin and you're practically in space already! Of course, a mini golf tour of the Solar System isn't all sway and syncopation. Space flight has its perils. For those journeys, the music comes from authentic 1950s B-movie soundtracks by William Loose & John Seely.

Why Do the Stars Look Fake?

In the classic movie Destination Moon, nearly 2000 automobile lightbulbs were strung out on wires in the soundstage to create the starfield. We have spared no expense to digitally recreate this effect.

February 20: Bugfix update! Version 1.03 is now available in all stores. It fixes a minor bug on Mercury and Io holes, and sets the visual quality properly for iPad Air and iPad Mini Retina.

November 14: Putt the Planets is now available for iOS, Android, and Kindle!